I have been lurking around seddit for a month or so reading material and several other books including "Models" and "The Game." I still have severe AA and I know the best way to cure it is to approach. I know I end up completely overthinking it, but I can never get past "hi". The irony is that I work in retail and talk to women all the time, but outside of the work environment I tend to sink. Here is just one example:

I was sitting in a coffee shop today surfing the web and doing some work on a reading up on some cooking blogs when a 2-set, HB8 and HB7 comes in to the establishment. HB7 is wearing a cute tank top with running shorts and HB8 is wearing a texas longhorns shirt with yoga pants. I catch eye contact with HB7 and smile. She smiles back.

The girls sit a table about 5 feet away from me and start chatting. I resume my business and don't take much notice until the table next to mine opens up. Almost immediately, HB8 and HB7 get up and move to this table. I wasn't sure if this was an IOI until I started noticing HB7 playing with her hair and HB8 casually looking at my computer screen.

AA sets in hardcore and I could have said practically anything to start a conversation at this point, but I continue to chode away and browse the internet. I finally nut up and catch HB8 looking at me, look her straight in the eyes and smile. I think this might have startled her because I jerked my head to look at her. She regains composure and exclaims, "Woah, what is that on your wrist?"

On my wrist is a red ipod nano that has wristband so you can wear it like a normal watch. Maybe it's the nerd in me, but I think its kind of cool. I dont remember what I said but led to a dead end and I just went back and resumed what I was doing. The girls ended up leaving later and I didn't do anything about it. I let my own anxieties get the better of me this time, but I shall learn from this, don't let this get me down and continue on.

Looking back on this situation, I realize there were so many things I could have done a lot better. When the girls moved to the table closer to mine, I could have teased them about moving closer just to sit near me. I ignored some potential IOI's between HB8 looking over at me and the lulls in their conversation as if they were expecting me to jump in at some point. When HB8 opened me I panicked and just didn't know what to say, but looking back on it I could have broke the ice by making assumptions as to where they just came from and actually bothered to introduce myself. I am pretty sure I am missing quite a few more things, but the one thing I was happy with this situation was that I had actually made the effort to smile and establish eye contact. Baby steps.